text: Agrochemical companies are the second largest users of fine chemicals. Most products have a "pharmaceutical heritage". As a consequence of an intensive M&A activity (Mergers and Acquisitions) over the past 10–20 years, the industry now is more consolidated than the pharmaceutical industry. The top 10 companies, led by Syngenta, Switzerland; Bayer Cropsciences, Germany: Monsanto, USA; BASF Crop Protection, Germany, and Dow Agrosciences, USA have a share of almost 95% of the total 2,000,000 tons / $48.5 billion pesticide output in 2010. Since the 1990s the R&D effort is focused mainly on gene modified (GM) seeds. At both Monsanto and DuPont's seed subsidiary, Pioneer Hi-Bred, GM seed businesses already account for more than 50% of total sales. 100 new LMW agrochemicals have been launched in the period 2000–2009. However, only 8 products achieved sales in excess of $100 million per year.
  Generics play a bigger role in the agro than in the pharma industry. They represent some 70% of the global market. China National Chemical Corp, a.k.a. ChemChina Group, is the world's largest supplier of generic farm chemicals. Mahkteshim Agan, Israel, and Cheminova, Denmark follow on the ranks 2 and 3. Apart from these multibillion-dollar companies, there are hundreds of smaller firms with sales of less than $50 million per year, mainly in India and China. The incidence of the cost of the active ingredient is about 33%; i.e., much higher than in drugs. Depending on the climatic conditions affecting crop yields, consumption and prices of agrochemicals are subject to wide fluctuations from year to year, impacting also the suppliers.
  The molecular structures of modern agrochemicals are much more complex than in older products, but lower than of their pharma counterparts. The average molecular weight of the top 10 is 330, as compared with 477 for the top 10.  In comparison to reagents used in pharmaceutical fine chemical syntheses, hazardous chemicals, e.g. sodium azide, halogens, methyl sulfide, phosgene, phosphorus chlorides, are more frequently used. Agrochemical companies sometimes outsource just these steps, which require specialized equipment, on toll conversion deals. With exception of the pyrethroids, which are photostable modifications of naturally occurring pyrethrums, active ingredients of agrochemicals rarely are chiral. Examples within herbicides are the worlds longstanding top-selling product, Monsantos round-up (glyphosate). Syngentas cyclohexadione-type mesotrione and paraquat dichloride.  Within insecticides, the traditional organophosphates, like malathion, and pyrethroids such as γ-cyhalotrin are being substituted for by neonicotinoids, like Bayers imidacloprid and Syngentas thiamethoxam  and pyrazoles, such as BASFs fipronil. Chloranthaniliprole is the most important representative of Du Ponts award-winning anthranilic diamide family of broad spectrum insecticides. Within fungicides, the strobilurins, a new class, are growing rapidly and already have captured more than 30% of the $10 billion global fungicide market. Syngentas azoxystrobin was the first product launched. Also BASFs F-500 Series, a.o. pyraclostrobin and kresoxim-methyl, Bayer CropScience, and Monsanto are developing new compounds in this class. Combination pesticides, such as Monsantos Genuity and SmartStax are more and more frequently used.